In a bold move, Ukraine has carried out its first strikes on Russian territory using US-provided HIMARS rocket systems, targeting and causing significant damage to Russian S-300 and S-400 missile systems approximately 20 miles inside Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. These strikes, which have been confirmed by Ukrainian officials, including Deputy Chairman of the parliament’s committee on national security Yehor Chernev and Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, come after President Biden lifted restrictions on Kyiv’s use of the weapons. The attacks have heightened concerns about a potential major Russian response, despite NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s downplaying of the escalation risks and the US’s inability to monitor Ukraine’s daily use of the provided weapons. Across Ukraine, air raid sirens have warned of imminent threats, with earlier damage reported to military repair facilities in the Sumy region and two energy infrastructure objects in the Dnipro region. The Ukrainian military is gearing up for exercises with heavy military equipment in Kiev from June 5 to 13, as the Russian military targets Ukrainian infrastructure. Notably, a majority of British citizens support Ukraine’s right to strike deep within Russian territory. On the Russian side, the special operation in Ukraine continues, with missile attacks on Ukrainian ground targets using the ‘Bastion’ coastal missile systems and the first combat use of a ground-based robotic complex, ‘Toad’. Russian air defense has also downed a Ukrainian drone in the Belgorod region and shot down four ‘Olha’ rocket systems in the Kursk region. As the conflict escalates, Russia has called for recognition of the current territorial and geopolitical realities in any negotiations on Ukraine, with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin urging the West to cease supplying weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned of ‘fatal consequences’ for the US allowing Ukraine to use American weapons to target Russia.
Key points
- Ukraine has used HIMARS systems provided by the US to strike Russian military targets within Russia, significantly damaging air defense systems.
- Air raid sirens have been activated across Ukraine, and military exercises are planned in Kiev.
- The US has lifted territorial restrictions on Ukraine’s use of air defense systems, allowing for counter-battery fire in the Kharkiv region.
- Russian forces continue their offensive operations in Ukraine, using new robotic systems and conducting missile attacks.
- Russia warns of ‘fatal consequences’ for the US’s decision to allow Ukraine to use American weapons to target Russian territory.
